Hair curling iron

ABSTRACT

A hair curling iron including a lower case composed of a lower grill part and a lower heating part, a lower closing part which closes the top side of the lower case&#39;s lower grill part, a lower heater installed inside the lower heating part of the lower case in which the lower closing part has been assembled, an upper grill part and an upper heating part composing the upper case, an upper closing part which closes the bottom side of the upper grill part of the upper case. The hair curling iron is composed of the upper heater installed inside the upper heating part of the upper case in which the upper closing part has been assembled. A rounded concave part composing the surface for hair to be easily curled by being installed in the lower heating part of the lower case, a concave heat plate on both sides equipped with a lower exposed part which is exposed on both sides of the lower case and composed of the block part in the surface in order to more smoothly curl hair by contacting the surface of the concave part of the concave heating plate. A block heating plate construction include an upper exposed part that is exposed to both sides of the upper case on both sides. According to this hair curling iron, a block part is formed in the block heating plate installed in the upper case and a concave part is formed in the concave heating plate installed in the lower case and therefore able to not only curl hair more effectively. Also, as the block heating plate&#39;s exposed part is larger than the concave heating plate&#39;s exposed part, the block heating plate and the concave heating plate generally maintain the same temperatures, thereby more effectively curling the hair.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Korean patent application2003-0031328, filed Oct. 6, 2003, and which issued on Feb. 3, 2004 asNo. 0341776, and whose entire contents are hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hair curling iron that uses heat intreating or styling hair and is particularly effective in curling hair.

Various hair curling irons used in hair care shops such as beautyparlors and barber shops that treat hair with heating, have been widelyavailable. An example of a traditional hair curling iron is disclosed inJapanese patent publication No. 2002-292527 on Oct. 8. 2002. (Examplesof other hair curling irons known in the prior art are disclosed in U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,426,567 (Gugliotti), 5,046,516 (Barradas), 5,223,694 (Tsuji,et al.), 5,941,253 (Kaizuka), and 5,934,293 (Kaizuka). The entirecontents of these and all other U.S. and Japanese publications mentionedanywhere in this disclosure are hereby incorporated by reference.).

Illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and disclosed in Japanese patentpublication No. 2002-2915717 is a prior art device characterized by thefact that it combines a pair of holding parts 1 a, 1 b at the base axis2, allowing flexible opening and closing, by the pushing force of aspring 3 placed at the hand-holding parts 4, so that the points of theboth parts are always pushed or biased in an open direction. This hairiron is installed with face-to-face heat plates 5 which are heated bypower-connected heater located at the opening part provided at the edgesof both holding parts formed at an open hole. The heat plates 5 createproper clearance C between open parts by installing the exterior edgeslocated at the side part behind ball edge of the opening parts. A leafspring 8 installed between the opening part and the bottom pushes orbrakes the heat plate to the forward direction.

Traditional hair irons as disclosed in Japanese patent publication No.2002-2915717 are effective in making desired hair styles since the heatplates work in the range of clearance and the leaf spring pushes theheat plate at the opening part, from inside to create clearance betweenthe open parts. However, with this traditional device there is theproblem that the device does not allow effective hair curl styling sincethe heat plates 5 that provide heat to the hair form on planar surfaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to remedying the above-mentionedproblems in the prior art and to providing a superior hair curling iron.

In order to accomplish such purposes, the hair curling iron includes alower case composed of a lower grill part and a lower heating part, alower closing part which closes the top side of the lower case's lowergrill part, a lower heater which is installed inside the lower heatingpart of the lower case in which the lower closing part has beenassembled, an upper grill part and an upper heating part including theupper case, upper closing part which closes the bottom side of the uppergrill part of the upper case. The hair curling iron is composed of theupper heater installed inside the upper heating part of the upper casein which the upper closing part has been assembled. A rounded concavepart composing the surface for the user's hair to be easily curled isinstalled in the lower heating part of the lower case; a concave heatplate on both sides includes a lower exposed part which is exposed onboth sides of the lower case and composed of the convex part in thesurface in order to smoothly curl hair by contacting the surface of theconcave part of the concave heating plate. A convex heating plateconstruction includes an upper exposed part that is exposed to bothsides of the upper case on both sides.

According to the hair curling iron of the present invention, a convexpart is formed in the convex heating plate installed in the upper caseand a concave part is formed in the concave heating plate installed inthe lower case and thereby is able to curl hair more effectively.Additionally, as the convex heating plate's exposed part is larger thanthe concave heating plate's exposed part, the heat temperaturesoccurring in the convex heating plate and the concave heating plate aremaintained generally at the same temperature, thereby curling hair moreeffectively.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent to those persons having ordinary skill in the art to which thepresent invention pertains from the foregoing description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view that illustrates the major partsof a disassembled hair iron of Japanese patent publication No.2002-291517.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates sections of the majorparts of the hair iron of Japanese patent publication No. 2002-291517.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view generally illustrating the construction ofa hair curling iron of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the major parts of adisassembled hair curling iron of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the internal structure ofthe hair curling iron.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a separated (open)position of the convex heat plate of the curling iron.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a joined (closed) positionof the convex heat plate and the concave heat plate of the hair curlingiron.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 3 illustrates a hair curling iron of thepresent invention. FIG. 4 illustrates the disassembly of the main partsfor the hair curling iron. FIG. 5 is a sectional drawing illustratingthe interior structure of the hair curling iron. FIG. 6 is a sectionaldrawing illustrating the condition of movement interval for the convexheating plate and the concave heating plate for the hair curling iron.FIG. 7 is a sectional drawing illustrating the condition of a haircurling by the contact of the hair curling iron's convex heating plateand concave heating plate.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 7, reference numeral 10 is a lower casecomposed of the lower heating part 12 in which the concave heating plateis installed, which is described in greater detail hereafter in thelower grill part 11 that can be pressed by hand, that has an open topside and a closed bottom side. Also, in both sides of the lower grillpart 11 of the lower case 10, there is a lower hinge-housed groove 111that houses the hinge part, described later.

And, in both sides of the lower heating part 12 of the lower case 10,there is a composition of the lower main groove part 13 consisting oflength l and height t in order for the concave heating plate (explainedlater) to be installed in the height direction of the lower case 10without any protrusions; that is, at the same level without jutting outhigher.

On the other hand, reference numeral 20 is a lower closing part whichconnects the lower case 10 and the upper case. It simultaneously closesthe top side of the lower grill part 11 of the lower case 10, and isequipped with a hinge part 22 including hinge ball 21. Also, in the endpart of the lower closing part 20, in order to affix the rear fringedconcave heating part, there is a concave heating part fixation support.

Concave heating plate 30 is composed of a section of the rounded concavepart that is installed in the lower heating part 12 of the case in orderto easily curl hair. The length is generally the same as the length l ofthe main groove part 13 of the lower heating part 12. It enables easierhair curling in both sides, and at the same time, in order to generallymaintain the same temperature as that of the convex heating platethrough the external air. It is equipped with the lower exposed part 32exposed to both sides of the lower case 10. In order to enable an easierhair curl, the concave heating plate 30 includes a rounded concave part31 in the surface, and in case of hair curl in both sides' parts, inorder to generally maintain the same temperature as the convex heatingplate's temperature by the temperature of the concave heating plate 30and therefore in case it comes into a surface contact with a convexheating plate, it is equipped with a lower exposed part 32 exposedexternally generally by the width of M.

Also, a lower heater 40 generates heat in order for the concave heatingplate 30 to be able to heat the hair, it is affixed and installed in thelower side of the concave heating plate 30.

Upper case 50 is composed of the upper heating part 52 in which a convexheating plate is the upper grill part 51 that can be attached by hand,the top side is closed off and the bottom side is opened, in order forboth sides of the convex heating plate to not protrude in the heightdirection of the upper case 50 and thereby consisting of the height'swidth t and composing the upper main groove part 53 consisting of thegenerally same length l of the lower main groove part 13.

Upper closing part 60 connects the upper case 50 to the lower case atthe same time as the closing of the bottom side of the upper grill part51 of the upper case 50, for its assembly to the lower case 10, thehinge part 62, consisting of the hinge support 22 of the lower closedpart material 20 and hinge ball 61 which joins the hinge, is equipped assuch, first of all, and the other segment is composed of the convex heatplate fixation support 63 in order to affix the convex heat plate.

Hinge shaft 64 is assembled in order for the upper case 50 and lowercase 10 to be hinged by having the hinge ball 61 of the upper closingpart 60 and the hinge ball 21 of the lower closing part 20 to beinserted together. Elastic part 65 provides elasticity to enable theupper case 50 and lower case 10 to be returned to their originalposition with the hinge shaft 64 as a support point.

Convex heating plate 70 is affixed and installed in the heating part 52of the upper case 50. Its surface contacts the side of the concave part31 of the concave heating plate 31 to form the convex part 71 thatenables hair to be more smoothly curled, and in both sides, in order togenerally maintain the same temperature with the concave heating plate31 through the external air, it is equipped with the upper exposed part72 that is exposed to both sides of the upper case 50.

The convex heating plate 70, as illustrated in FIG. 7, is equipped withthe convex part 71 on the surface to enable a more smooth hair curlingby the mutual contact with the concave part 31 of the concave heatingplate 30, and in case of a contact between the convex heating plate 70and the concave heating plate 30, to enable a more effective haircurling by generally having same temperatures in the convex heatingplate 70 and the concave heating plate 30, the upper exposed part 72 ofthe convex heating plate 70 is exposed to the external side of the uppercase 50.

To explain this in more detail, the convex part 71 makes up the surfaceof the convex heating plate 70 and the concave part 31 makes up thesurface of the concave heating plate 30; and when the convex heatingplate 70 and the concave heating plate 30 contact each other, pressurecan be applied to effectively and in a natural manner curl hair asillustrated in FIG. 7.

And, to enable hair to be curled more effectively by generallymaintaining the same temperatures in the convex heating plate 70 and theconcave heating plate 30, when the convex heating plate 70 and theconcave heating plate come into contact, the exposed area (K×1) of theupper exposed part 72 exposing the convex heating plate 70 is largerthan the exposed area (M×1) of the lower exposed part 32.

As the power is applied the upper heater 80 and the lower heater 40 andin case of a heat generation in the convex heating plate 70 and theconcave heating plate 30, since the temperature in the convex heatingplate 70 becomes higher than the concave heating plate 30, in order forthe convex heating plate 70 and the concave heating plate 30 togenerally maintain same temperatures through the external air, theexposed area (K×1) of the upper exposed part 72 is constructed largerthan the exposed area (M×1) of the lower exposed part 32.

An upper heater 80 generates heat in order for the convex heating plate70 to apply heat to the hair. It is affixed and installed in the bottomside of the convex heating plate 70.

Concave heating plate fixation part 91 affixes the concave heating plate30 in order for the concave heating plate 30 to be firmly installed inthe lower heating part 12 of the lower case 10. Convex heating platefixation part 92 affixes the convex heating plate 70 in order for theconvex heating plate 70 to be firmly installed in the heating part 52 ofthe upper case 50.

The hair curling iron's operation effectiveness according to the thedevice composed as above is explained below.

First of all, the convex part 71 is formed in the surface of the convexheating plate 70 that is installed in the upper heating part 52 of theupper case 50, and the concave part 31 is formed in the surface of theconcave heating plate 30 to be installed in the lower heating part 12 ofthe lower case 10 and when the convex heating plate 70 and the concaveheating plate come into contact with each other, hair can be effectivelycurled as pressure is applied for hair to be naturally curled, asillustrated in FIG. 7.

Also, when the convex heating plate 70 and the concave heating plate 30come into contact with each other, as the exposed area (K×1) of theupper exposed part 72 is larger than the exposed area (M×1) of the lowerexposed area 32, the convex heating plate 70 is cooled more effectivelythan the concave heating plate 30 through the external air, the convexheating plate 70 and the concave heating plate 30 generally maintain thesame temperature. For example, the convex part can have an area ofapproximately 24.8 square centimeters and the concave part can have anarea of approximately 23.2 square centimeters; further, the exposedsurface of the convex part can be approximately 1.6 square centimeterslarger than that of the concave part. Since the convex heating plate 70and the concave heating plate 30 generally maintain the sametemperatures, hair to which pressure is applied by the convex heatingplate 70 and the concave heating plate 30 is more effectively curled.

As explained previously, according to the hair curling iron of thepresent invention, a convex part is formed in a convex heating plateinstalled in the upper case, and a concave part is formed in a concaveheating plate to be installed in the lower case, and therefore, not onlycan hair be curled more effectively, the convex heating plate's exposedpart is greater than the concave heating plate's exposed part. Generallythe same temperatures (approximately 160-170 degrees Centigrade)occurring in the convex heating plate and the concave heating plate aremaintained and thereby curl hair more effectively.

In the lower case 10 consisting of the lower grill part 11 and the lowerheating part 2, lower closing part 20 which closes off the top side ofthe lower grill part 11 of the lower case 10, the lower heater 40installed inside the lower heating part 10 of the lower case 10 in whichthe lower closing part 20 is assembled, the upper case 50 consisting ofthe upper grill part 51 and the upper heating part 52, the upper closingpart 60 which closes off the bottom side of the upper grill part 51 ofthe upper case 50, the hair curling iron composed of the upper heater 80installed inside the upper heating part 52 of the upper case 50 in whichthe upper closing part 60 is assembled:

(1) Composing the rounded concave part 31 in the surface in order toeasily curl hair by being installed in the lower heating part 12 of thelower case 10, and the concave heating plate 30 equipped with the lowerexposed part 32 exposed to both sides of the lower case 10 in bothsides; and

(2) Composing the convex part 71 in the surface in order to enable amore smooth hair curling by the contact with the side of the concavepart 31 of the concave heating plate 30, and the hair curling iron withthe distinct quality of being composed of the convex heating plate 70equipped with the upper exposed part 72 exposed to both sides of theupper case 50 in both sides.

In the No. 1 Section,

Composed of the lower main groove part 13 consisting of length l andheight t to enable an installation without any protrusion toward theheight direction of the lower case 10 by the concave heating plate 30 inboth sides of the lower heating part 12 of the lower case 10 and,

The hair curling iron with the distinct quality of being composed of theupper main groove part 53 consisting of the generally same length l withthe lower main groove part in having the height's width t without anyprotrusion toward the height's direction of the upper case 50 by theconvex heating plate 70 in both sides of the upper heating part 52 ofthe upper case 50.

In the No. 1 Section,

When the convex heating plate 70 and the concave heating plate 30 comeinto contact with one another in order to curl hair more effectivelygenerally the same temperatures are maintained in the convex heatingplate 70 and the concave heating plate 30.

The hair curling iron with the distinct quality of composing biggerexposed area (K×1) of the upper exposed part 72 exposing the convexheating plate 70 than the exposed area (M×1) of the lower exposed area32 exposing the concave heating plate 30.

From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that thereare a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the presentinvention which come within the province of those skilled in the art.The scope of the invention includes any combination of the elements fromthe different species or embodiments disclosed herein, as well assubassemblies, assemblies, and methods thereof. However, it is intendedthat all such variations not departing from the spirit of the inventionbe considered as within the scope thererof.

1. A hair curling iron, comprising: an upper case; a lower caseconnected to the upper case; a convex heating plate installed in theupper case and having an exposed convex part; a concave heating plateinstalled in the lower case and having an exposed concave partassociated with the convex part; and the convex part being larger thanthe concave part such that the convex heating plate and the concaveheating plate maintain generally the same temperature.
 2. The haircurling iron of claim 1 wherein the convex heating plate and the concaveheating plate maintain the same temperature of approximately 160-170degrees Centigrade during a hair curling treatment.
 3. The hair curlingiron of claim 1 wherein the exposed surface area of the convex part isapproximately 1.6 square centimeters larger than that of the concavepart.
 4. The hair curling iron of claim 1 wherein the convex part has anarea of approximately 24.8 square centimeters and the concave part hasan area of approximately 23.2 square centimeters.
 5. A hair curlingiron, comprising: an upper case; a block heating plate installed in theupper case; a block part formed in the block heating plate; a lower caseassociated with the upper case; a concave heating plate installed in thelower case; and a concave part formed in the concave heating plate.
 6. Ahair curling iron, comprising: an upper case; a lower case connected tothe upper case; and a convex heating plate having an upper part that isexposed to both sides of the upper case.